Electricity and Control March 2024

MEASUREMENT + INSTRUMENTATION : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Measuring electrical installations safely

Fluke, a global technology leader in the manufacture of compact, professional electronic test and measurement tools and software, and represented locally by Comtest, has developed a range of thermal imaging and wireless testing tools designed to ensure safety is prioritised for engineers working in potentially dangerous arc flash zones. In every company, electrical safety should be based on limiting workers’ exposure to serious electrical haz ards such as arc flash and electrocution. In Fluke’s view, the best way to keep operators out of harm’s way is to give them access to the right non-contact tools that pro tect them – and significantly reduce (by up to half) the amount of time they are required to work on live circuits in arc flash zones. Arc flash is the term used to denote the light and heat created from an arc fault explosion; temperatures can reach up to 19 000°C, which can ignite an operator’s clothing and burn the skin of anyone within a few feet. Arc flash is a serious hazard. It can melt metal, cause lung and eyesight damage and lead to hospitalisation, even death. Engineers and health & safety teams are familiar with establishing arc flash boundaries and wearing arc-rated safety clothing and rubber insulating gloves. However, using non-contact test and measurement tools means operators can minimise the level of personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to wear and the amount of time they need to spend inside the boundary. Fluke’s PQ400 electrical measurement window (EMW) is designed to be permanently installed into cabinets with voltage and current connections inside the panel. The PQ400 gives workers access to critical power qual ity and energy data and at the same time maintains a high level of safety and decreases testing time required. Users can plug their power quality tools directly into the EMW to collect all the data needed. As well as the safety aspects, other advantages of the PQ400 include lower maintenance costs and reduced downtime – by enabling critical power quality and ener gy measurements to be made without opening the panel door. The EMW also enables logging and monitoring to be done at any time, without disrupting operations, in creasing measurement efficiency. Also from Fluke, the CV400 ClirVu 4-inch window – is a permanent infrared window that provides a view of what is on the other side of a panel without workers being exposed to live voltage or needing full PPE. Offering the most visibility into a panel for a thermal camera (simpli fying the inspection process by allowing measurements to be taken without having to open a cabinet), the widest Fluke window option available also helps to reduce the time and costs involved in preventive maintenance. Similarly, Fluke’s TiS75+ thermal camera enables operators to capture and measure heat energy emanating from a source without having to make physical contact.

Above: Fluke 376 FC Wireless Logging ACDC Clamp Meter – this enables technicians to set up measurements and transmit the data from inside the arc flash boundary while maintaining a safe distance. Right: Fluke TiS75+ Thermal Imagers enable operators to capture and measure heat energy emanating from a source without having to make physical contact.

This means they can see instantly what is running too hot or too cold before anything breaks down. Offering single handed image capture, review and save capabilities, the camera helps operators keep a safe distance from an arc flash boundary. Using the Fluke Connect app they can compare thermal scans over time. Another instrument that supports safety – the Fluke 376 FC clamp meter – makes it possible to set up meas urements and transmit the data from inside the arc flash boundary. This allows a technician within 20 m of the equipment to open the Fluke Connect app and read the figures from outside the boundary. As well as reducing the time technicians spend in the hazard zone of the arc flash boundary, the clamp meter helps them log, trend, and monitor measurements remotely so they can pin point intermittent faults. Also in Fluke’s range of safe testing tools is the 3000 FC digital multimeter, a flexible DMM that allows users to read results through the Fluke Connect app out side the arc flash boundary. Using this equipment tech nicians can reduce their time inside the boundary and they have an easy-to-read display with large digits and a bright backlight. Eric van Riet from Fluke says: “There’s no need for engineers to put themselves in an arc blast zone if they can avoid being there. Products such as wireless and non-contact tools and remote displays can help place them as far away as possible from risk and danger while allowing them to take accurate, instant readings that can be analysed remotely. Arc flash safety is essential, and the latest thermal imaging and wireless testing tools are the best way to offer operators maximum protection.”

For more information visit: www.comtest.co.za

MARCH 2024 Electricity + Control

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